Thread: Anyone do Tai Chi

That sounds pretty cool with the bird. I took Aikido Yoshinkai style for about 1 year before I joined the Navy, didn't train for about 6 years since and just recently picked it back up again. I was Rokukyu before I joined the Navy, starting over now. The style I'm taking now is Aikido Aikikai, so it's a bit different generally larger movements in Aikikai as opposed to Yoshinkai.

I've seen some pretty cool things with Aikido, like people with their breathing able to drop their center so that you can't pick them up at all when you try, no matter how hard you try they just won't come off the mat. Thing with Aikido is using what your opponent gives you in their attack, redirecting their energy. Generally the more the attacker resists with Aikido, if your technique is good, the more it hurts for the attacker. When training usually relaxing is the way to go, but usually people want to train with a strong grip/hold from the attacker and genuine attacks (always better).

Originally Posted by bevansmw

That sounds pretty cool with the bird. I took Aikido Yoshinkai style for about 1 year before I joined the Navy, didn't train for about 6 years since and just recently picked it back up again. I was Rokukyu before I joined the Navy, starting over now. The style I'm taking now is Aikido Aikikai, so it's a bit different generally larger movements in Aikikai as opposed to Yoshinkai.

I've seen some pretty cool things with Aikido, like people with their breathing able to drop their center so that you can't pick them up at all when you try, no matter how hard you try they just won't come off the mat. Thing with Aikido is using what your opponent gives you in their attack, redirecting their energy. Generally the more the attacker resists with Aikido, if your technique is good, the more it hurts for the attacker. When training usually relaxing is the way to go, but usually people want to train with a strong grip/hold from the attacker and genuine attacks (always better).

Check out the book "Angry White Pyjamas" by Robert Twigger. A very good read about Yoshinkai training with the Tokyo Riot Police.

Jordan

My background is in Wing Chun, but I have been studying Taiji Quan/Chi Kung for about a year under a Sifu and Grandmaster's tutelage. There really is no substitute for a teacher.

I've seen that video before and the only criticisms that I can make are that she's moving a bit fast, her stance isn't rooted at times, and that her energy is not being directed correctly for some of the postures. She is very graceful throughout the form.

Originally Posted by ewanhuzarmie

My background is in Wing Chun, but I have been studying Taiji Quan/Chi Kung for about a year under a Sifu and Grandmaster's tutelage. There really is no substitute for a teacher.

I've seen that video before and the only criticisms that I can make are that she's moving a bit fast, her stance isn't rooted at times, and that her energy is not being directed correctly for some of the postures. She is very graceful throughout the form.

Would it be fair to say she lacks "intensity" In many of the best forms I've seen its almost like you can see the focus and intent of each movement even as it is performed. With her performance, it is just that, graceful movement without the ultimate concentration that make the forms in all martial arts impressive whatever speed they are performed at. Though it seems to flow very well and is easier on the eyes to enjoy watching than many of the old masters.

While I know there is no real substitute for live instruction, there is also no substitute for being able to pop a tape in, spend a few minutes studying and then dropping it when dinners ready. I'd love to get into a class, when I'm less stretched for relax time. As it is finding time to do a supposedly relaxing exercise class could very well put me over the edge.

Agreed. The intensity is missing because her intent is just to provide a flowing look to the movements. IIRC, she performs in forms competitions. She isn't focusing on actual application.

Understood about the loss of free time making the tapes more convenient. Good luck in freeing up some time to pursue it further. You will learn a great deal about your technique's weaknesses when you start playing push-hands. It is a fantastic style that will teach you a lot about yourself. Some tips that may help you progress faster:
- The body doesn't move until the stance is rooted.
- When stepping, the heel touches the ground first while moving forward, and the toes should touch first when moving backwards or to the sides. Also, your weight should be evenly distributed across the whole of your foot on the weighted leg(s) or your stance will be unstable.
- Breathe through your belly.
- Tuck your tailbone (roll your hips forward slightly to provide a natural curve to yoru back).
- Your limbs should be rounded, not straight in the postures. Your back should be straight but not rigid.
- You should keep 5 parts of your body "down" (your shoulders, elbows, wrists, tailbone [tucked], and feet [don't pick your feet up too high while moving between postures]). Visualize it as if it were raining, the water should drip from your elbows and puddle at your feet.
- loose/relaxed does not mean limp. There is a big difference. Limp has no power/energy. Relaxed allows you to direct the flow of energy in your body.
- Your eyes direct your body's energy. You should always look at/through what you would be striking/blocking.
- A great way to get really comfortable with your body in the postures is to turn it into real moving meditation. Pause while you are in each posture (even the opening stance) and meditate for a short bit. You find that your body tends to readjust itself slightly into a more natural version of the posture as long as you are not tense (and it is generally the correct form of the posture as long as your energy is correct).
- Never use force against force. Regardless of whether or not you are stronger, you still lose out.

Oh, and one final tip. Relax and enjoy the experience.

One more thing... When readjusting your posture or movement between postures, always move the appendage that would need to move to correct the situation. For instance, if you're stepping too shallowly, adjust the foot that took the step, not the one that didn't move. Otherwise, your body doesn't learn to adjust itself during the motion.

I studied an older form of the Yang family style, Yangjia Michuan Tai Chi Chuan, for . . . . 1, 2, 3 ....4 ..... let's see, almost five years. It is what most of the Yang family style Tai Chi, the most popular style in America, was based on. The movements where .... I wouldn't say "larger" in all cases, but that was generally the case. The postures where REALLY big on skeletal alignment. Round movements, (Duh.) Oh, another difference, it was big on grounding incoming force into the ground through bending the back leg, kind of like sitting down on the back leg, then you would rebound that energy back up and return it, with a twist, circle, some kind of redirection, of course, as you came back up from your "sitting" posture. I finally had to quite because it was stressing out my knees to much. That was seven or eight years ago now.

The Martial Applications were VERY direct in this form, all the movements had martial application with no adjustments. But, as I think is true most of the time, it is very hard to train most of the internal arts for application. jnich67 mentioned that you have to mix up your training, do the forms at speed, train with a partner, two person drills, up through sparring to make it work. My class didn't have any of this. When I had learned all the forms, including most of the weapons forms, I got bored.

There is a great old book on Akido called, "Akido and the Dynamic Sphere." If you substitute the words "tai chi" for the word "akido", and put the word "small" in front of every mention of "circle", almost everything in that book applies to Tai Chi. Just goes to show, there are only so many ways the human body can move.

All that said, I STILL circle step back . . . . .

Lunumbra

All styles converge somewhere in the middle. In the advanced teachings of external martial arts (like the Wing Chun I mentioned earlier) you learn the internal aspects. internal styles teach you to unleash what you learned of controlling your energy in effective attacks (transferring the energy into the three different types of jing ). Yang style even has small circle (fast) forms once you get to the level to learn them. It's just that most people don't stick around long enough to learn them.

What I would love to find is a Bagua teacher here.

Originally Posted by ewanhuzarmie

What I would love to find is a Bagua teacher here.

Had to look that up. Very cool. I think I'll stick with a style that allows me to build my physical stamina and flexibility more slowly, I'm getting to old for jumping into any of the more external styles without a lot of physical conditioning ahead of time. Thus the major advantage of Tai Chi, and if I keep at it, in a couple of decades who knows.

That's actually why I took up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I figured why not challenge myself before its too late. Now I'm rolling around with and often getting my ass kicked by youngsters from the Bronx. Its a different outlook...if you know what I mean.

Jordan